Monthly Archives: July 2017

I like to start my mornings with a cup of coffee and some quiet so that I can think through my day. It’s good to think ahead and plan for anything that might be a conflict in schedules or difficult meeting so that I can prepare my mind for come what may.

Though I do my best to plan for events, meetings, and chores, often times I’m caught off guard by the attitudes and emotions other people convey in their day-to-day activities. It’s in these times that I can be derailed from what I was trying to accomplish.

So if I don’t prepare my mind for the jerk who cuts people off on the road or the rude receptionist at the office, I’m certainly setting myself up for failure! The reality is that each day has its own share of troubles and grief – even Jesus said so! – therefore it’s foolish for me to not assume that tomorrow I will have opportunities to lose my cool.

It’s not like I’ve had a tremendous track record for keeping my composure under stress or maintaining a great attitude when dealing with frustrating people when I haven’t planned ahead, nor have I done well when temptation rears its head and I didn’t plan for it. In fact, I would estimate my performance pretty poorly!

Knowing this is the case, why wouldn’t I want to prepare my heart and my mind for what’s coming ahead. Every fighter, every athlete, every speaker, prepare’s their mind for what’s coming ahead; in the moment they exercise great self-control because they have prepared specifically for this moment!

Can you imagine how much easier our days would be if we would assume that someone is going to behave poorly, someone is going to say something rudely or someone is going to push your personal or professional boundaries?

This wouldn’t simply make our days easier, it would set us up to be ready to show the LOVE of Christ to people who, under normal circumstances, we may have written off because they frustrated us, disappointed us, or rejected us.

Take some time today to prepare your mind so that you can exercise some amazing self-control, share the love of Jesus, and find yourself walking in victory instead of regret!

Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach.

The real question is, “Why?”. Why did they come to hear Him? Jesus’ message was a simple message of repentance, which I’m not sure if you know this or not, is not an attractive message with most people who are struggling in sin, or dead in their sins.

So why did they “often” come to hear Him?

As notorious as the sinners were for sinning, Jesus was a notoriously loving person. In fact, He is love. They were attracted to Him because He loved them more than their sins. He treated them better than the establishment of religion would ever dare to treat them.

He loved them unconditionally.

What would it look like for you to be attractive to sinners? Some automatically assume that to be attractive means to appeal to their senses or desires. Instead what if we appealed to the one common need every of human? Love.

What if we loved them as Christ loved them? In fact, they are the reason for the gospel! Just as you were once!

I challenge you to consider the way which you come across to agnostics, atheists, all unbelievers, those who believe differently than you.

We change our minds and turn our backs on people with nearly no regard for consequences.

We will lie to people we love to keep from being discovered, gain more favor, or make them feel better about a situation.

I realize that this is hardly breaking news, not only have we all experienced someone else treating us this way, but we’ve all been the one who has treated others this way. After years of use and abuse of these attributes, we’ve learned not to fully trust anyone because ANYONE is capable of hurting us, and we are capable of hurting others as well.

We begin to see life through the unfocused lense of doubt and mistrust; this is perfectly understandable, even defensible, behavior given how we humans tend to treat each other.

Trouble ensues, however when we think of God as a human; we engage in personification, treating something which isn’t human like it is human. We see this when someone dresses up their dog and uses little baby voices and speaking on behalf of the dog. “Ohhh…. I’m so glad to see you mommy!”

Why is this an issue? Because God is not human, in fact He is a spirit. This changes everything – we cannot attribute our experiences, failures, and behaviors on Him when He isn’t anything like us! Look at what scripture says about Him.

God is not a man, so he does not lie.He is not human, so he does not change his mind.Has he ever spoken and failed to act?Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Numbers 23:19 NLT

Just as we have attributes which cause us to change our minds, lie, and betray others – God’s attributes cause Him to love, cause Him to illuminate, and cause Him to tell the truth. He doesn’t just tell the truth, He IS the truth! He doesn’t simply have attributes – HE IS THE ATTRIBUTE!

Regardless how many PEOPLE have lied to you, how many PEOPLE have changed their minds, when God tells you He loves and that He will never leave you – He isn’t human, He doesn’t change His mind, nor does He lie!

You are loved… you are unconditionally loved… and as a follower of Jesus, you are locked into a love relatioship with God, a spirit, who will never change His mind about you!

Any promises God has made concerning you, will always and forever be true!

The volcano issued its demand through billows of sulphurous clouds and spurts of fiery ash and rock; certainly the only way to appease the god was through sacrifice!

“If only this god would see how serious we are, how much we are willing to give, what we will deny ourselves in order to stay his hand from the wrath which will ensue should we do nothing!”

*enter stage left* the young, beautiful virgin, tied to a cot made of sticks.

The sacrifice is dropped, without regard, into the mouth of the monster.

Suddenly, the smoke stops.

The rumbling ceases.

As a voice, a cavernous sound, belches from the bowels of the volcano and releases a single syllable, “Nope.”

The villagers scream in terror as the rumbling begins anew, now with ten times the strength the smoke and fire erupt, driving those worshippers away from the mountain.

Back in the village, a scared native looks to the chief and demands,

“WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO APPEASE THIS GOD?!”

I’m certain that this is a scene from some movie somewhere (for any copyright infringements I apologize)! Aren’t you glad we don’t behave that way anymore? If we sacrificed a virgin every time there were a famine, blizzard, or tornado there would be a shortage of un-defiled young ladies for our virtuous men to seek!

Sadly, many Christians still hold to this logic in regards to their walk with God. They firmly believe that if they behave poorly by sinning or wrong thinking, God will love them less. Also, if they behave well, reading their Bibles, going to church frequently, somehow God will love them more.

This logic is flawed on SO many levels. How do we suppose that we are going to coerce God into loving us more than sending His Son to die for us while we were His enemies? How can we make Him love us more? For that matter… how can we make Him do anything?

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1 NKJV

I’ve got great news, as a believer and follower of Jesus, not only can you not make God love you more, but neither can you make God love you less!

This isn’t a license to sin (we will still receive temporal punishment for our sins) but it is a license to LIVE freely in the warmth of unconditional love. It motivates us to love other people, to live for God, and to worship with abandonment.

We aren’t very familiar with unconditional love, it’s a foreign concept to many of us because so many base their capacity to love others according to how they’re treated.

But NOT SO with God – He IS love – He doesn’t just love people – HE IS LOVE. When He says that nothing can separate you from Him, He means it.

Naomi was returning to her home after losing her husband and two sons in another country. As she entered her hometown, she was greeted by friends and relatives who exclaimed, “Is it really Naomi?”

But Naomi corrected them,

Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. Ruth 1:20 NLT

Naomi’s name means “pleasant” but Mara means “bitter”. Keep in mind that no one else identified her as Mara (bitter), God didn’t call her Mara (bitter) rather she chose to be identified by her bitterness. She wanted to make certain that everyone knew her as bitter!

I’ve never experienced a loss as profound as Naomi, therefore I can’t speak to her grief, however I’ve experienced tragedy and loss. I’m no stranger to pain, as I imagine those who may read this blog are equally (perhaps more so) familiar with disaster, pain, and loss. I am in no way suggesting that she had no right to feel pain, anger, or bitterness, nor suggesting that recovery is instantaneous; my concern is how she continued long afterwards to choose to identify with her bitterness, even as much as to call herself Bitter.

We are given the opportunity to choose each day how we will identify ourselves, whether we will continue to focus on pain, hurt, or depression or each day begin by asserting that we are NOT defined by the circumstances, rather we are MORE than the pain, we are more than the hurt!

Don’t let tragedy define your life!

How will you identify today? Will you choose to be known asPleasant, Beautiful, Radiant, or will you choose to be known as Bitter, Pain, or Depression?

Fact #1: if you tank up on energy drinks all day, you will have difficulty sleeping well.

Fact #2: if you surround yourself with those who enjoy creating drama, your life will be filled with anxiety and stress.

These facts aren’t difficult to believe or understand because we understand this simple premise; that which we seed into our lives creates or produces fruit (even if it’s a bad fruit.) Honestly, we don’t want bad sleep or anxiety-ridden lives but we often do those things which creates this nonsense for us.

Although, you could take a Facebook sabbatical or even delete your account, you could live like a hermit…

It’s a different kind of hermit but he’s cute!

… you could even sleep as well as ol’ Rip Van Winkle and STILL not have any peace!

The Bible tells us in Job 3:26,

I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest; only trouble comes. Job 3:26 NLT

The reality is that unless we spend time with the One who creates or produces peace in us we will not know peace. Remember the simple premise? That which we seed into our lives creates or produces fruit. What are you seeding into your life?

Resolving the conflicts in our soul isn’t as easy as just getting rid of the stressors (although it’s a good start) it’s also about replacing those things, or filling the void with those things which are healthy and helpful. Peace isn’t simply the absence of stress or the ability to rest, it’s a gift from the God who is known as Jehovah Shalom (The Lord IS our Peace). Peace is the fruit of time spent with the maker or Creator of Peace.

THE CHALLENGE:

If you’ve been struggling like our friend Job, if you feel like there is no peace, no quietness, or rest, may I reccomend spending time, cultivating, seeding time with the One who creates peace in us?

Take some time today and rest in His presence, worship Him and find that peace and quiet, the rest and freedom was waiting for you all along.

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”. Mark 16:15

The word “preach” comes from the greek word “kerusso” which means to herald, proclaim, or preach; this was usually done by an appointed official of the king’s court called the Kerux.

The job of the Kerux was to “proclaim” the king’s words to the people of the kingdom. If the king needed anything communicated to the people, he would use the Kerux to do so. Also, the Kerux was only to preach or proclaim what the king spoke – He wasn’t to put words in the king’s mouth or leave anything out. Simple job, really. Convey the king’s words to everyone that would listen.

Every believer has been appointed “Kerux” of the highest order! We are to proclaim the King’s words of hope, life, love, and repentance to all His kingdom. We aren’t to leave anything out or put words in His mouth. Simply, convey the King’s words to everyone that will listen.

Some people get all frustrated and nervous, but you don’t have to worry about what to say, the King will tell you everything; also, He sent a Helper for you to do your job! The Holy Spirit will tell you exactly how to communicate God’s great love and forgiveness to each person you encounter if you will listen for Him.

So you don’t have to be a klutz with the gospel, you’re a Kerux! Now go kerusso that good news!

“But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,” Jude 1:20 NLT

Four words from the verse above jump out at me, “build each other up”. These words seem to jump from the page of my Bible and tell me, “You were never meant to do this alone.”

So many believers live their lives quietly struggling with their fears and doubts, they’re wondering, “If God loves me so much, why am I going through such hell right now?”; this is a logical question if the person asking is secluded away from other believers, however most of the time, they are not alone, which makes the question all the more tragic. No one should feel as if they’re alone or the discouragement which threatens the fabric of our faith.

If believers were to build each other regularly there would be no need for any follower of Jesus to feel isolated or discouraged in their faith. Also, if believer would allow for fellow Christians to engage with them they could hear and experience the encouragement which their soul so desperately needs.

Herein lies the problem; so many of us live like the Lone Ranger, roaming the wilderness of this world all alone, making the best of it as we can. But even the Lone Ranger had Tonto! You and I were never designed to live out the Christian faith all alone. We need each other.

But even the Lone Ranger had Tonto!

As far as I can tell, there are really two issues;

We need to make ourselves available to other believers. We’ll never experience the encouragement that we need unless we allow ourselves the time and opportunity to meet with other believers. We also have to allow them to speak into our lives!

We need to be encouraging each other, building each other up. There is SO MUCH hate today, it’s becoming more and more difficult to be an individual of faith in today’s culture, which is why it is imperative that we build each other up!

Can you think of someone who could use some encouragement today?

Would you be willing to tell them how their faith in Jesus encourages you?